Quanekelak/Qanekelak

Qanekelak is a mythical figure from the Bela Bela Native Americans. He is a cosmic being bearing features of an orca and a human. He lived in an earlier version of the world consisting solely of water and ice. Some versions of this myth describe him as a human with an orca head. Others describe him as an orca with a human torso, or a creature with the upper body of a man and the lower half of an orca. Whatever the variation, it is thought that he became fully human and is thought to be the ancestor to all of the Killer-Whale Clan. He is credited with creating dogs to give to people and going around naming animals and people.

Citations:

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.

Rose, Carol. Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of Folklore Legend And Myth. United Kingdom, WW Norton, 2001.

Sullivan, Irene F., and Gill, Sam D.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.